Be it your living room, kitchen, master bedroom or your bathroom, one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to give your home a certain “look” is by lighting it up. Correct layering can enhance colour and ambience of any room you pick.
Make a lighting strategy and see how much of a difference appropriate interior lighting can make. Here’s a guide to help you go about it:
Home is where the heart is:
First impressions have to leave lasting impressions if you aim to please your guests with your exquisite style. Effective lighting can make your home look more welcoming and warm. Thus, you can install an overhead light which is a little dimmer than the average shade at your front door for the sake of subtlety. A large chandelier or lantern can be put in the middle of the room to give the living room a “grand” ambience.
If the walls of your living room have been adorned by tasteful pieces of art, then please show them off by adding accent lights to highlight those works. For the side tables, go with floor lamps and enhance the largest room in your home.
Heart is where the food is:
Dining Room Lighting Conceptual Sketch by Stephanie Richard, an Architect in-the-making. Image Courtesy: Stephanie Richard
Easiest room to pretty up. Why? This is because food makes every room beautiful. Most of the action happens around the table as this is the place people really want to be. A droopy pendant light above the table will emit a nice, soft glow needed to accentuate the food being served. But, don’t limit your lighting till there; you can also add in-cabinet lighting to bring the spotlight to your extensive China collection or your favourite family heirlooms.
Food is where the cooking is, happiness is also there where food is:
If the dining room is easy, your test of good lighting is based on your kitchen lighting’s merit. This room is a little complex and mysterious and you don’t know whether you’ve got it wrong or right till is finally complete. So much happens in this room that is difficult to keep up. And quite honestly, the kitchen is the place where the maximum amount of light is needed.
Hence, plan overhead lights for the heavy tasks such as cleaning and wiping the cupboards and cabinets, sweeping the floor and all that. Put task lighting over the bar or sink or detailed oriented chores. These lights show off collectables or design features in a good light, literally.
Sleep is where the happiness is:
A bedroom can really benefit with appropriate lights being installed at the appropriate place. Like a dresser can be dressy with the help of a task light, an accent light can accentuate the photos and an overhead dimmer light can set the mood and general ambience of a comfortable room. Bedroom lights should be warm and flattering as these lights evoke feelings of rest and happiness. If a lot of reading is done in this room then make sure to keep a nice cool-light shaded task lamp near your bed to avoid eyestrain and headaches.
Happiness is where the bath is:
The most personal room for everyone in the family, a bathroom. Task lighting is unarguably the most required light in the bathroom but there is a lot of scope for layering lights here. Sconces above and besides the vanity mirror for the daily tasks should be installed. These sconces should be placed near face height for the best illumination which will flatter the face and hardly leave any traces of shadows. A dimmer light will be easier for the eyes especially when the bathroom is occupied early in the morning.
These are a few lighting tips for every room in your home. Hope they light up your life.
Alex Hales works as an interior designer with Direct Lightening Busselton, the custom lighting experts. He is passionate about cars, and enjoys fishing and sailing on the weekends.
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